Democrats propose reforms for LDCs

Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature proposed eight reforms Tuesday to the way local development corporations are created.

The reforms follow the arrests last week of four, including the husband of County Executive Maggie Brooks, on charges of bid-rigging connected to two LDCs.

The changes proposed by the legislative minority are:

• legislative consent before any LDC contract is assigned to a new vendor;
• legislative confirmation of all LDC board appointments;
• two legislative appointments to each LDC board;
• LDCs be subject to competitive procurement laws;
• legislative approval of LDC budgets;
• legislative approval of amendments to contracts between LDCs and the county;
• the filing of all LDC contracts and subcontracts with the Legislature’s clerk; and
• the filing of quarterly and annual financial statements with the clerk.

Brooks’ husband, Robert Wiesner, is a former Rochester police captain and former director of security for the Monroe County Water Authority. Also indicted last week were LDC executives David Lynch and John Maggio, and former information technology official Nelson Rivera.

The county LDCs connected to the case are Upstate Telecommunications Corp. and Navitech Services Corp.

“We simply cannot allow these entities to continue having unfettered control over our vital public safety communications infrastructure with enacting serious reforms,” said Minority Leader Carrie Andrews, D-Rochester, in a statement.